Instead, she let Supervisory Assistant Public Defender Mary Haselkamp enter the not-guilty pleas on her behalf stemming from the November beating death and burying of a poodle puppy in the backyard of her Pacific Street home.

The case has outraged area animal lovers, who have telephoned their concern to the State's Attorney's Office.

"The state is taking this case very seriously," said Assistant State's Attorney Judy Stevens.

Earlier Monday, she turned over the state-conducted necropsy of the puppy.